South Brooklyn Ferry Route Will Get 3 Bigger Boats To Meet High Demand

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — Brooklyn is going to need a bigger boat.

The NYC Ferry is adding three increased capacity vessels to its South Brooklyn route because of demand that has been far higher than initially projected.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation, which operates the ferry service, said that in the five weeks since that route launched, it has carried 97,000 passengers. EDC was projecting ridership of about 62,500 over that same time period.

The South Brooklyn route connects Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook and Downtown Brooklyn with South Ferry in Manhattan.

The larger boats will increase capacity from 150 riders to 250 riders.

"In just a little over one month, the South Brooklyn Route has already provided 83,500 riders with a convenient, comfortable and scenic way to get around the city," NYCEDC President James Patchett said in a press release.

The increased ridership "shows how excited New Yorkers are for this new transit option," Patchett said. "And with three more routes slated to launch within the next year, we’re looking forward to bringing NYC Ferry to even more neighborhoods across the city."

The route opened on June 1, and Mayor Bill de Blasio took an inaugural ride the day before that. Read more about it here.

Image via NYC Mayor's Office